Gender stereotypes in toys

Girls love pink and boys love blue. It is often stated as a fact, but is it? Scientists have been debating about the origin of differences between boys and girls in for example color preferences and play. The main question is whether the differences are caused by nature (i.e. girls are biologically pre-determined to like pink) or by nurture (i.e. boys are raised to like blue and dislike pink).

With seventy-five percent of girls toys pink, it is difficult to determine whether girls prefer pink by nature or girls are just ‘programmed’ that way by nurture. For an entertaining monologue about the gendered colors of toys, watch little Riley talk about how girls might like other colors besides pink.

The demand for gender-neutral toys is rising and companies are now starting to react. The Swedish company Top Toy has made a Christmas toy catalog where boys are playing with dollhouses and girls are shooting with toy guns. It is not a surprise it is a Swedish company is one of the first, since Sweden has started a big campaign to promote gender equality and reverse gender stereotypes.

News / Inspiration

Ariel India wants gender equality #ShareTheLoad

In India, Ariel is addressing yet another issue of gender inequality. As Ariel asks: “Today, when everyone is talking about equality between men and women in every field, then why is laundry considered just a woman’s job? When women have entered the field of business, isn’t it time to ask the question – #IsLaundryOnlyAWomansJob?“.

Ariel’s research shows that the majority of Indian women (85%) feel they are working two jobs, one at work and another at home. At the same time 73% of women feel men prioritize relaxing over helping with household chores, and they might be right since 76% of Indian men feel laundry is a woman’s job.

Ariel has launched a campaign to fight for gender equality in the laundry department, asking for men to #ShareTheLoad and take on the Wash Bucket Challenge. The demand for equality in every field could also be heard during the Oscar’s, when Patricia Arquette received an Oscar and devoted her speech to demanding equal pay.

The boys are fighting back #likeaboy

We’ve seen several campaigns in which girls and women are celebrated. Think about Dove’s real beauty campaigns, This Girl Can in the UK and the Always #likeagirl campaign. The main message: why are we still accepting different standards for men and women? When did doing something ‘like a girl’ become an insult?

Although the campaigns get a lot of support from the female side – women have been advocating for a stronger place in society for years – men are not always as supportive. After Always aired its #likeagirl-campaign during the SuperBowl, the #likeaboy-hasthag became trending. Twitters’ audience main message: isn’t it time boys got some praise too?

Many are surprised by this reaction, since men still hold a gender-biased advantage in a lot of way. But recent societal developments might help to explain. Men are in crisis. They live in a world that is becoming more and more feminine and based on female values, which has led men to feel they are losing their manlyhood. They are losing their sense of self. And they are questioning why women feel the need to – in their eyes – put them down.

It is still necessary to advocate women’s rights, but men should not be forgotten.

Consumers don’t want something that’s ‘sorta’ for them

People watch the Super Bowl for many reason. The sportsmanship. The half time extravaganza. And of course: the commercials. With a guarantee of big audiences, brands go all out. And they’re not just catching our attention by using a celebrity or two. Brands are also tapping into important consumer trends.

The Esurance commercial for example, starring Lindsay Lohan, shows her as a bad driver trying to get two unsuspecting children to get in the car with her. Being a 25-35 year old woman with a busy life and a lot of time spend on the road, she could have been the soccer-mom picking up her kids from school. But Lindsay Lohan is actually the 25-35 year old woman with a busy life and a lot of time spend on the road, representing the free-spirited part of her generation.

“I’m sorta your mom.”

But ‘sorta you’ isn’t actually ‘you’, the ad tries to explain. And ‘sorta you’ isn’t good enough. Having an insurance suitable for moms, might not be suitable for the single party girl – even though they share roughly the same demographics. Although consumers have accepted insurances that didn’t cover their needs for years, they’re now speaking up. Why? Because society has changed. Consumer behavior has changed. And your customers are probably telling you they want customized and personalized products too.

Wait, what? They didn’t tell you? Oh, that’s right. Consumers actually expect companies and brands understand them, and offer them the best products possible. Consumers are willing to pay for what’s right for them, not for someone that’s ‘sorta’ like them. You can watch Lindsay Lohan and the newly released Walter White clips here and here.